Working at the intersection of marine conservation and social, economic, and environmental justice.

At the intersection of marine conservation and social, economic, environmental and food justice

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Remembering Zeke Grader, Fisheries Warrior and Ocean Hero

This post comes from Sara Randall, an independent natural resource consultant
specializing in commercial fisheries, food systems, and sustainable economies
and is now based in her home state of Maine.

Last month, we saw the passing of Zeke Grader, a champion of
our nation’s commercial fisheries, our fishing men and women, healthy
ecosystems and the public trust.

Zeke Grader, San Francisco

I first met Zeke when I started working with him at the
Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR) and the Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) in the fall of 2002. It happened to be right
in the middle of Klamath River fish kill, the largest man-made fish kill in
known western history. I vividly
remember answering distraught phone calls from those on the ground in the
region relaying the gruesome scene of 65,000 adult spawning salmon and steelhead
lying dead and decomposing on the banks of the Klamath and Trinity rivers. This
ecological disaster was the result of the Bush Administration, through Bureau
of Reclamation, allowing water diversions for irrigation to Klamath Basin
ranchers and agri-business in clear violation of the Endangered Species Act
(ESA).

Always on the side of fish and
fishing families, Zeke led the way in bringing attention to the dangers these water
diversions posed to the health of our salmon runs and ecological balance of our
rivers.He correctly pointed out that these
water diversions reduce flow rates and raise water temperatures, a deadly
combination for salmon attempting to return to their natal streams to spawn.

Never one to back down, Zeke ’s responded by initiating a lawsuit
against the federal agency, and in an act that is remembered by many, orchestrated
the delivery of 500 lbs. of rotting adult Klamath River salmon killed to the
steps of the Department of the Interior headquarters in Washington, D.C. As I
came to learn through my time working with Zeke, his career was characterized by
this kind of bold and tenacious advocacy as a modern day warrior for our
wild-caught fisheries.

Over the better part of the next decade, I had the privilege
to continue working with Zeke as the Director of Programs at IFR, during which
time we literally tackled every conceivable issue that affected the health and
productivity of our fish bearing waterways and fishing communities. Throughout
it all Zeke never tired or lost an ounce of passion and somehow managed to
maintain a strong presence on local, regional, national, and international
stages.

Zeke was an effective and tireless advocate for fishing
families and the environment they depend on.He devoted countless hours advocating for the modernization of the MSA. Zeke’s efforts led to securing federal
disaster relief for fishing families after the loss of fishing seasons due to
water mismanagement on the Klamath and Sacramento rivers, and more effective oil
spill prevention and response policies. Together we worked on efforts to warn
consumers about the dangers of ocean salmon farming, to create a national
organization for commercial fishermen, to stop the FDA’s approval of
genetically engineered salmon, and to include fisheries in the sustainable food
movement.

Grader at the Congressional Salmon Summit, 2010

Zeke warned of the of the negative social, economic, and
environmental consequences of unfettered expansion of catch share fishery
management systems, and pushed for the establishment of Community Fishing
Associations as a method for communities to maintain fishing access. Zeke wasn’t
afraid to take important issues to court and lead the charge to legally protect
fisheries, especially when it came to accelerating the painfully slow process
of water quality restoration under the Clean Water Act. He was a master of utilizing locally-caught
fresh seafood to connect decision makers to commercial fishermen and to
illustrate the importance of keeping our aquatic ecosystems healthy.

During my tenure, PCFFA & IFR worked for dam removal on
several important salmon bearing waterways, including spending many years at
the negotiating table for the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. The
resulting dam removal agreement, the 2010 Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement,
would be the largest dam removal project in history and plans to open 420 miles
of salmon habitat.

Dysfunctional water rights policies required Zeke to spend a
lot of time working for fewer water diversions and increased water flows on salmon
bearing rivers and streams. This work pitted Zeke against powerful and
deep-pocketed agri-business and urban water districts, as well as resistant state
and federal agencies and, as others have noted, Zeke never flinched.

Despite the long battles he was so often forced to engage in,
Zeke never lost his humor and would always take time to have in-depth
conversations and build community. Zeke often hosted “Beer Fridays” in his
office overlooking San Francisco Bay where he would relay war stories with old
friends and impart knowledge on younger workers.

As most who witnessed Zeke in action know, he was not afraid
to speak truth to power and did not mince words in doing so.As just one example, in 2006, when the
regulators were trying to close the commercial salmon season due to the 2002
Klamath Fish Kill, Zeke pointed out that without efforts to address the water over-allocation
that led to their decline, “putting fish back into a river that's killing them
makes as much sense as tossing virgins into a volcano". Later he also was
quoted as saying, "There is, in fact, more evidence for the low flows
killing these fish than there is for Iraq having weapons of mass destruction”.

Grader with Jane Lubchenco, Pietro Parravano and Sara Randall.

Using his characteristic wit, he was able to summarize and
boil down complex regulations, policies, and scientific concepts in a way that
allowed lay people to understand while at the same time placing the issue into
the broader political, social, and economic context. He was a verbal bomb
thrower and his spoken acuity could singlehandedly change the dynamic and
direction of public discourse. Zeke was so verbally nimble and quick on his
feet that few dared to debate with him in public. At the same time, his deep
intelligence and straightforwardness enabled him to be a powerful diplomat.
Zeke worked with and advised leaders at every level of industry and
government.Innumerous times throughout
his career he was able build bridges and create understanding between
communities with disparate viewpoints. Through these talents he earned the
respect of many, even his opponents.

Before my time working with him, Zeke’s accomplishments
included leading the effort to pass legislation for a conservation plan to
double wild salmon numbers in California, and then used the legislation to
reform the federal Central Valley Project. This work eventually led to the
passage of the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), which
reserved 800,000 acre-feet of water for the environment and is known as the
most important water policy reform legislation ever passed by Congress. In 1998 Vice President Al Gore presented Zeke
with NOAA’s Environmental Hero Award.

Zeke and many former staffers at his retirement party earlier this year

One of Zeke’s greatest legacies is the number of young
people he directly mentored and inspired. Through the years that I worked for
him Zeke directly mentored over 20 individuals, many of them coming from the
AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project (as I did), and later from the Golden
Gate University School of Law. It is clear that Zeke made an impact on their lives
and careers long after their stint at IFR came to an end. Most continue to work in the natural resource
field for commercial fishing groups, environmental organizations; and regional,
state, and local government.

In memorializing Zeke, his friend Leon Panetta said, “if our
oceans are the ‘salt in our veins,’ Zeke Grader is the fire in our spirit”. Indeed,
Zeke’s legacy demonstrates the difference one person can make in the world through
perseverance and determination. He will be missed by many.